Collahuasi Copper Mine, Chile
Key Data:
Producer of
Copper
Location
Northern Chile
Ownership
Falconbridge (44%), Anglo American (44%), Japanese interests (12%).
Geology type
Copper-bearing porphyry
Mineral type
Copper oxides and sulphides
Reserve base
1,800Mt grading 0.9% copper
Annual production
488,600t of copper in concentrate, plus 68,600t of cathode copper (2005).
Mining method
Conventional open pit
Processing method
Oxide ores: crushing, agglomeration, acid leaching, solvent extraction and electro-winning to produce cathode copper for export
Processing method
Sulphide ores: crushing, grinding and flotation to produce copper concentrate for export
Employment
980 plus contractors
Key Equipment:
Open pit
Bucyrus International and Driltech electric drills, Komatsu 830E haul trucks, Caterpillar 797 haul trucks, Bucyrus International mining shovels, Krupp Fördertechnik semi-mobile crushers, Modular Mining Systems truck
Contract blasting
Orica
Ore processing
General Electric mill drives, Svedala filter presses, Geho concentrate pipeline pumps
Project contractors
Bechtel and Kvaerner Metals
Tailings impoundment
Golder Associates
Camp construction
Atco Structures
Concentrate terminal
Sandwell Engineering
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